A Riddle For Love (Beyond Fairytales)

by Lara Nance

  When the transfer began, Boron crossed his arms across his chest and gave Avar a questioning stare.

  He activated a fake alert on his comm-unit. “Hello? Yes. What? You can’t be serious.” He looked at Boron and rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. I’ll send Boron to pick them up. Give me the address.” He scribbled on his tablet. “I have it. No, we won’t be late. Don’t worry.”

  “What now?” Boron asked when Avar placed his communicator on his desk.

  “The customer wants them to have identical necklaces from Over the Moon Jewelers. He sent them the order, but we have to pick it up.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. That store is halfway across the habitat.”

  “Sorry, buddy. But the customer is king.” He transferred the address to a data chip, extracted it from his tablet, and handed it to his assistant. “Here’s the address and the order number.”

  “Why do I have to do it? Doesn’t she have a secretary or something?”

  “She said she only trusts us to deal with this in a timely manner. Look at it as a compliment. I’ll finish the transfers.”

  “Okaaaaay.” He grimaced and inserted the chip in his personal data device. “Here I go.”

  Avar bit back a shout of relief when his assistant left the lab. He quickly attached the data port and reactivated Lily.

  She fell into his arms. “You got my message.”

  “Yes, baby.” He kissed her lips, cheeks, and forehead. “I thought we were sunk there for a while.”

  “I was frantic. I tried to leave a message no one but you would decipher if they saw it by accident.”

  “You had a perfect idea. Put on these clothes and let’s get out of here.” He handed her the bag he’d packed.

  “I can put the tunic and pants on over this ridiculous bodysuit.” She grinned. “Did the owner really order necklaces?”

  “No. I arranged the purchase with the jeweler and said someone would pick them up today. That will keep Boron busy for at least half an hour or more. By the time he returns and they organize a search, we should be in space.”

  She jammed the black wig on her head and combed the tangled locks with her fingers. “I’m ready.”

  He deactivated the power on his computer then glanced at the other two units still receiving their data. “Sorry ladies. We have to leave you.”

  They passed through the sliding door, and Avar’s heart hammered in his chest. “Keep your head down and don’t look at anyone you pass. If we become separated, meet me at the docking bay for the Galaxy Line in Sector Eight.”

  She nodded and headed along the corridor, gaze averted and hands jammed into her tunic pockets.

  He followed a few steps behind, praying their luck held and they made it out of the lab area without being caught.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lily couldn’t imagine being any more nervous if she were a human. She gripped her hands into fists inside her pockets and focused on the gray thermal tiles of the floor. Her very life depended on the next hour.

  Unlike the times she’d traveled to the lab outside of normal work hours, she passed numerous people in the passageway. Fortunately, a few greeted Avar but made no move to stop him or her. When she reached the busy main hall, she nearly cried.

  She hurried to a lift and Avar squeezed into the crowded pod behind her. She called out, “Level four, please.”

  They exited on the fourth level and headed for the transport tunnel to take them to Sector Eight.

  “Are you doing okay?” Avar whispered in her ear as they queued for the next transport.

  She ran her tongue over her lips and nodded.

  When they reached Sector Eight, he guided her to another queue for entrance to the docking bays. He handed her the orange ticket card and her ID chip. “Hand these to the attendant at the checkpoint and don’t say anything. If they ask you the purpose of your visit to Earth, say vacation.”

  “What if they ask me something I don’t know?”

  “Stay calm and make up something that sounds plausible.”

  “Will they know we’re missing yet?” she asked as they inched forward in the line.

  He glanced at his comm-unit. “No. Boron won’t make it back to the lab for a while. Try to relax.”

  Finally she reached the uniformed station attendant at the check-in counter. The unsmiling female held out a hand, and Lily placed her ticket and ID in it.

  “You’re going to Earth?” the woman asked as she slipped the ticket card in a slot on her viewer.

  “Yes.” Lily forced a smile.

  “Purpose of your visit?”

  “A vacation.”

  The attendant gave her a glance then returned her documents. “Have a pleasant trip, ma’am.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured, forcing her feet to carry her away from the counter. She counted her steps, refusing the urge to look back and make sure Avar was okay.

  When she reached fifty, he appeared at her side, and she let out a deep sigh.

  “Docking bay number seven, over there.” He pointed to a lighted sign with the number emblazoned in glowing red.

  A short portal led to a waiting area. Several hundred people milled about or lounged in plastic molded seats. Most of the passengers laughed and chatted about their upcoming trip. A few scattered business travelers sat isolated with heads bowed over data tablets.

  “Hey, Avar. You made it,” a woman called, waving to him.

  “That’s Blenda and her group. We’ll mix in with them.” He steered her toward the six people in their brightly colored vacation apparel who laughed and sipped drinks from chilled insulated containers.

  Blenda whooped and slapped him on the back. “I bet you’d change your mind at the last minute.”

  “Not a chance. My project is over and I need a break.” He motioned to Lily. “This is my girlfriend, Lily.”

  “Hi, great to meet you.” Blenda shook her hand. “For a second, when you first came in, I thought she was Kava with that hair.”

  Lily touched a strand of her black wig.

  “That’s not even funny,” Avar said. “Like I’d ever go on a vacation with her.”

  “Yeah, she’s not human. Works all the time and a bitch, too.” Blenda laughed. “Hey, have some of this drink. It’ll put you straight into vacation mode.” She extended her container with its pink straw.

  “Sure,” Avar said. He took a sip and handed it to Lily.

  The fruity concoction must have been half alcohol since it burned going down. She coughed and handed the drink to the other woman.

  Blenda laughed and patted her back. “Yeah, that Venusian rum is pretty potent.”

  Lily managed a laugh but couldn’t help glancing at the portal. Avar took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. They settled in seats among the happy vacationers, waiting for the boarding to begin.

  An announcement to board boomed over a speaker. Lily bolted to her feet, and their companions burst into laughter.

  “Someone is very ready for a vacation,” Blenda said.

  “Yeah. I’m extremely ready,” she said.

  Avar wrapped an arm around her waist and they hurried to line up at the docking entry. Their tickets and IDs were checked again, and then they entered a silver extension tube that led to the Galaxy liner. Their fellow travelers chatted excitedly around them, but Lily and Avar remained silent, holding tightly to each other.

  A steward inserted their ticket cards in a handheld viewer when they reached the entrance to the huge ship. “Level three, cabin fourteen. Take that lift on the left. Have a nice trip.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “This way.” Avar placed a hand on the small of her back.

  “Where are our luggage pods?” she asked as they exited the lift car.

  “They should have been delivered to our cabin.”

  Four passageways branched from the landing. Cabin number ranges were posted above each of them.

  “Number fourteen, to the right.” Avar pointed to
the sign.

  Blue tube lights along the ceiling dimly lit the hall. Silver scrapes along the bronze metal walls and faded holo-signs gave evidence of the liner’s age. However, Galaxy’s safety record was unparalleled. She’d settle for safety over luxury anytime.

  “Here’s fourteen.” Avar found their berth on the right and inserted his ticket card into a slot on the door panel.

  The door slid open. She stepped inside and let out a breath of relief to find their luggage pods just inside. “Thank goodness.”

  The space looked small, but efficiently used. A couch that would convert to a bed at night, along one wall. Opposite, a small bathroom with a cleansing unit, toilet, and sink occupied a space set apart by a retractable screen.

  “Wow, we’re lucky to have a window.” She moved to view the scene beyond the two-foot square opening. Some sparkling stars were visible through the brightness of the spaceport lighting. A few shuttles zipped about, preparing the great ship for its voyage.

  “We’re going out there,” Avar said in a wondering tone. He came to stand beside her and they circled their arms around each other’s waists.

  “If I didn’t feel so scared of being caught, I’d be terribly excited,” she said. “Although I could do without the stale air smell.”

  A chime sounded and the floor vibrated. A calm female voice came over the speaker. “We are now preparing for departure. Please take seats and apply the emergency straps provided. If you need assistance at any time, please activate the steward button. Oxygen supplies are in the bins over your seats and will deploy in the event of a cabin desaturation. Once we clear the station, you’ll be able to remove your straps and move around the vessel to enjoy our many restaurants, shops, and recreational activities. So sit back and relax. Your Galaxy voyage to Earth is about to begin.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The Galaxy liner eased from the docking bay and moved into open space. It swiveled, pointing its nose away from Mars and providing Avar and Lily with a view of the retreating station. He entwined his fingers with Lily’s.

  “We’re away from Mars,” she said. “We actually made it.”

  He grinned and rested his head against the seat. “I kept thinking the flight would be delayed or something equally disastrous.”

  The ship gently shuddered as it completed its rotation and headed into space. The female voice returned and gave them permission to unbuckle and roam the ship. “Our first stop will be in two hours when we meet the merchant ship Glimmer to take on passengers. Until then, visit level six for a meal or shopping.”

  “Glimmer,” he murmured.

  “Interesting name for a ship.”

  “I bet the folks from the mining colonies are excited to be on their way to Earth.”

  “Avar?”

  “Yes?” He removed his straps and swiveled to face her.

  Her brow wrinkled. “Do you think they’re going to let us go?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m worth a billion dollars. Will they really just let us go to Earth and live happily ever after?”

  “Earth is a big place.” He shifted.

  “For a billion dollars, I bet they’ll make every attempt to find us.”

  “What are you suggesting?” A seed of panic in his stomach began to grow. She was right. He’d tried not to think past the triumph of stealing away on the ship. But knowing Kava, she’d be relentless, not just for the money, but for revenge.

  “We need an alternate plan. It’s a given they’ll come after us. We have to put as much time and distance as possible between us so we have a chance at disappearing. The fresher the trail, the more likely they’ll be able to find us.”

  “If we continue to Earth, we can take a transport somewhere else. This ship will also stop on Earth’s Moon. There are transport facilities there as well.”

  She grasped his arm. “Avar, all those scenarios have voyages happening in real time. We’d only be a step ahead of them at any stop.”

  He followed her thought process. “Glimmer....”

  She nodded. “The mining colonies are light years away. The passengers enter hibernation pods to journey back and forth to this galaxy.”

  “But we’d be giving up five years of our lives to travel that distance.”

  “They won’t expect us to take that route. By the time they rule out transfers from the moon and Earth, Glimmer will be long gone in hyper-drive and unstoppable. Will they really give up five years to track us?”

  He rose and paced to the window, the panic seed fully blossomed. Outside, blackness and spots of light formed a monotonous path through space.

  Lily moved to stand behind him and wrapped her arms around him, her cheek resting against his shoulder. “Five years is worth it to be with you and live in peace somewhere we can’t be found.”

  The warmth of her body seeped into him, soothing his anxiety a notch. “I guess it’s better than spending the rest of my life in a penal colony while you get your memory wiped and are sent to live with some rich playboy.”

  “I’d rather throw myself into space,” she said, shivering.

  “All right.” He drew away from the window and stared into her eyes. “I have to admit, it’s our best opportunity to make a clean break. I have to find a way to get us onto that merchant ship. You’re sure?”

  She bit her bottom lip then nodded. “We’d be kidding ourselves to think we have another choice.”

  The squirming vines of panic tied themselves in a knot and a wave of nausea swept over him. Five years in hibernation and then the dreary existence of a mining colony. It didn’t fit the picture he’d envisioned when he’d first allowed himself to hope they could escape. Still, it beat slave labor in a prison for the rest of his life.

  He rubbed the knotted muscles of his neck. In truth, being with Lily was all he needed. No matter where they were, it would be paradise for him. Filled with renewed determination, he retrieved his data tablet from his pod and connected to the ship’s wireless database.

  Lily paced the floor of their small cabin as Avar worked to procure tickets on the merchant ship outside the normal mode of booking. Places on those transports were usually set long in advance.

  After half an hour, he let out a shout. “I did it.”

  “Are you kidding?” She rushed to the couch and sank beside him.

  “What a hassle. Since I canceled my bank account, they were reluctant to take a booking without advance payment. I finally convinced them to let us pay at boarding for an additional fee.”

  She held his head between her hands and kissed him.

  He rose and lifted her to swing in a circle.

  She laughed. “I can’t believe I’m so happy to be going to a mining colony.”

  He returned her to her feet and kissed her more gently. “I’ll be happy anywhere with you.”

  A chime sounded. “We are approaching our brief stop to dock with the merchant ship, Glimmer, in thirty minutes. Unless you are scheduled to transport to this vessel, please stay in your cabins with your safety harnesses in place. This will be a brief stop only. Those passengers transferring to Glimmer should report to level eight immediately. Thank you.”

  “It’s happening so fast.” She clutched her chest and gave a crazy giggle. “Maybe that’s good. We don’t have time to think too much about our fate.”

  “Right.” He grabbed their pods. “Not thinking is good. Lead the way.”

  She managed the door controls and then the lift that carried them to level eight, while he lugged their pods, one in each hand.

  They followed the signs to the ship-to-ship transfer port. A handful of others gathered in the waiting area. How different from the excited atmosphere of the waiting room on Mars. This group sat in subdued clusters of two and three with a couple of solitary individuals. Apparently, transport to mining colonies didn’t merit a celebration.

  She and Avar steered to one side, out of the way. Her mind set on rerun, repeating, We’re doing the right thing, we
’re doing the right thing.

  A steward entered the waiting area, a tablet in one hand. “Please be seated and strap in for the docking procedure. As I call your name, please raise your hand.”

  She huddled against Avar as the names were ticked off. The steward hesitated at the end of the list, then gave their names. She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

  A grinding noise and floor shaking preceded a mechanical hum and loud click.

  “All right, ladies and gentlemen. Please stay seated until the arriving passengers are aboard, and then you’ll be able to leave.” The steward lowered a lever on a metal airlock. The sealed portal hissed then opened.

  Lily leaned forward viewing the yellow glow within the airlock. The steward stepped into the chamber and opened another door. After a few seconds, ten passengers emerged and entered the Galaxy liner. Their pale faces were wreathed in smiles.

  “Looks like they haven’t seen the sun in a while,” Avar said.

  “And now you may board.” The steward returned to the waiting room and motioned toward the airlock hatch. “Watch your step as you cross over the connecting mechanisms.”

  She took a deep breath and followed the glum group into the hazy yellow passage. We’re doing the right thing. We’re doing the right thing.

  The sound of Avar’s steps behind were her only comfort.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You understand, once you enter the hibernation pod, you won’t be able to emerge until we reach Riguss Twelve?” the bald man in a green uniform read from a computer screen.

  “Yes,” Avar said and Lily echoed.

  “And you understand this will be four years and six months from the time of activation?”

  “Yes.”

  “You commit to abide by all the rules and regulations of the mining colony when you arrive, and if not, you will be forced to return in a non-hibernation pod.”

  Avar swallowed. “Yes.”

  The man handed him a stylus. “Sign on the screen here and here.”

  Avar completed the signature and handed the stylus to Lily. Her hand trembled slightly as she marked the screen.